Inquiring readers: I have no doubt you shall enjoy this post by my good friend, Lady Anne, an expert when it comes to the subject of Georgette Heyer. Lady Anne has read Georgette Heyer’s novels for most of her years upon this earth. Smart, sassy, fabulous, well tressed and well dressed, she has read every GH book backwards and forwards. There is not one tiny detail of Georgette’s novels that escapes Lady Anne’s attention or opinion. As to her review of These Old Shades- please enjoy.
Set in the Georgian period, about 20 years before the Regency, These Old Shades is considered to be the book that launched Heyer’s career. It features two of Heyer’s most memorable characters: Justin Alastair, the Duke of Avon, and Leonie, whom he rescues from a life of ignomy and comes to love and marry.
The title of the book, These Old Shades, is a subtle allusion to the fact that this book is a far superior reworking of Georgette Heyer’s first book, The Black Moth, a book she wrote for the amusement of her brother who was ill. The characters in The Black Moth are at best two dimensional, but like most of Heyer’s creations, have enough humor and idiosyncrasy to catch our interest. In her case, it was the character of the villain whom she wished to revisit, develop and deepen.
These Old Shades is the first of the Alistair trilogy – she really did like these characters – and is not Regency, nor does it take place primarily in England. Like many of her early books, it falls more accurately into the category of historical romance, and is cast in mid-18th century Paris, with a short idyll at the English county seat of our hero, Justin Alistair, the Duke of Avon. He is known by the soubriquet Satanas, for his cold exactitude and prescient understanding of what his opponent will do next, as well as a certain elasticity in his moral fiber. The Duke has restored his family’s fortune through gambling; he is, as one would expect of one of the first peers of the realm, an arrant snob, careful, although certainly flamboyant, in his dress, and punctilious in manner. The historical background is the court of Louis XV, complete with its intrigues and excesses. It is the perfect backdrop for this story, for which one must be willing to suspend disbelief for pages at a time. It is such fun, and so sparkling in its writing, that one is indeed willing.
We first meet the Duke, dissolute, languid, apparently unaware of his surroundings, when a gamin comes hurtling from a side street and provides Avon with the weapon he has been waiting for to bring about the destruction of the Comte de Saint-Vire, the man who famously insulted Avon beyond courtesy. Avon buys the youngster from his brother, and establishes him as a page dressed in sober black, who attends Avon at parties, assemblies, and the Court at Versailles. The youngster, called Leon, attracts considerable attention, not only for his utter adoration of his master, whom he calls Monseigneur, but also for his startling red hair and dark eyebrows. Such hair and eyebrow combination is evident in the Saint-Vire family. As le tout Paris buzzes, Avon begins laying his plans. Leon is revealed to readers as Leonie, and goes to England in the country to learn how to be a lady. The Duke adopts her and returns to Paris with his ward. His friend Hugh Davenant returns to Paris at the same time and Avon tells him, in a passage that makes clear both the character and performance of this Duke:
“I am becoming something of a patriarch, my dear.”
“Are you? Davenant said, and smiled to himself. “May I compliment
you on your ward?”
“Pray do! You find her to your taste?”
“Infinitely. Paris will be enchanted. She is an original.”
“Something of a rogue,” conceded his Grace.
“Justin, what does Saint-Vire to do with her?”
The thin brows rose.
“I seem to remember, my dear, that your curiosity was one of the
things I deplored in you.”
“I’ve not forgot the tale you told me – in this very room, Justin. Is
Leonie the tool with which you hope to crush Saint-Vire?”
His Grace yawned.
“You fatigue me, Hugh. Do you know, I have ever had a fancy to
play my game — alone.”
Davenant could make nothing of him and gave up the attempt.”
But it is not the plot that carries the reader along; it is the delightful characters. The Duke, the darkest of Heyer’s heroes, has real charm, albeit a little sinister. He is not one you would wish to cross, as we see. Leonie, the heroine, is an effervescent charmer with a ferocious temper and an inherent sense of her own worth that grows through the book. Her character is honest and instinctively noble. She also, like any adorable pet of a large circle, gets away with being outrageous – except when Monseigneur is displeased. The supporting characters have charm and individuality as well. It is no wonder that Heyer comes back to the family twice: once in The Devil’s Cub – to revisit the Duke and his family, with a focus on the Cub, definitely the son of both his parents, and then in what is generally considered her finest novel, in An Infamous Army, where the grandchildren of the second book’s couple play out their roles at Waterloo.
If the story that unfolds is outrageous and unbelievable, the characters develop beautifully, the dialog bubbles delightfully, and we love the rollicking ride.
These Old Shades/Black Moth comparison from Wikipedia
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I adore Georgette Heyer and this book is definitely one of my favorites! I discovered Ms Heyer in my teens and now, more than 30 years later, I enjoy them just as much. Her books stand the test of time.
I loved your review! Now I have an urge to reread an old favorite. :)
I had no idea that The Black Moth was the prototype for These Old Shades. Thanks for the review.
I am reading Devil’s Cub right now! I~of course~ am LOVING it. And I was perturbed to learn that it was second in the trilogy, (as I have not read These Old Shades) but it reads just as well as a stand alone since it deals with the next generation.
I just received These Old Shades & The Black Moth, so I will have to read those next!
Thanks for this awesome review.
Georgette Heyer is my hero.
Great review! I just read These Old Shades and I definitely have to continue on with the trilogy. I love your comparison with The Black Moth. I had no idea it was a reworking of that novel.
I think I have this one as part of a collection I won this summer! These are on my 2010 list to read!
I’ve started Devil’s Cub too, the dialogues are really good.
Really Angelic
They should make movies of Ms Heyer’s books!
These Old Shades is one of my favourite Heyer novels! I think she overdoes the flash slang now and again in the later books, but you cannot fault her insight into the period.
I believe the description of the battle of Waterloo in An Infamous Army was used at Sandhurst in their study of that battle.
I’m sorry, but I absolutely couldn’t stand These Old Shades, mostly because Leonie is so obnoxious. Far from being spirited, fiery and adorable/outrageous, she’s nothing more than a childish, immature brat.
I rarely find Heyer’s younger heroines charming, and I can never understand her romances where older, sophisticated men of the world fall in love with these spoiled, thoughtless children. Give me a wise, responsible Frederica or a cool, poised Mary Challoner any day!
I find it also annoying that Leonie should be included in Devil’s Cub – which would have been a perfect book, if she hadn’t been there to ruin it.
THESE OLD SHADES, first encountered by me more years ago than I care to admit, holds the singular distinction of being the last book whose back cover copy I read. Once I read the book, I was absolutely livid that the back cover copy had ruined the enormous surprise …. SPOILER ALERT (if anyone here is still innocent of this!) …. that Leon was a girl. Yes, my friends, when I encountered this book I was utterly ignorant of romance novel conventions and cliches. I had no idea that Leon was a female in disguise. Or at least I suspected that I would have had none — had the back cover copy not given it away.
I was so angry, in fact, that I tore the offending back cover off the book. And vowed never again to read back cover copy prior to reading the actual book — a rule that has saved me, time after time, from similar disappointments.
To test my theory, I read THESE OLD SHADES aloud to my boyfriend in college. Without the spoiler. Sure enough, he was flabbergasted during the “reveal” scene. So kudos to Ms. Heyer for her deft handling of this, and so many other aspects of this unforgettable book! Truly a classic.
Im introducing Georgette Heyer to a cousin who has no idea what awaits her……. But which should she read first. Black Moth or These Old Shades. They were published the other way around and most people read TOS first….and somehow it works well that way. Fall in love with the character of the Duke and then go back and read about his past in TBM. But some might prefer it the other way….what do you think?
I have loved Georgette Heyer ever since I read Regency Buck 40 years ago and soon after, These Old Shades. They continue to be my favourites as well as Cotillion, Convenient Marriage and Fridays Child….oh ALL of them!!!!
Freddy was one of my all time favourite heroes…as was the Duke of Avon……And her dialogue is just hilarious…..especially in the last two above…
Such a pity she stipulated that no film should be made of her books after a B grade version of Reluctant Widow was released in the 50s. If only she had realised what wonderful films have been made since……..Can you imagine Jeremy Brett [long running sherlock holmes tv series] as the duke of avon? and hugh grant/colin firth/pierce brosnan as freddy? Helena Bonham Carter as Horry, oh the list goes on…
I think the general consensus is that BLACK MOTH is not The Divine Heyer’s best work — and you wouldn’t want to turn your cousin off before she has a chance to fall in love! I started with FRIDAY’S CHILD, but I imagine THESE OLD SHADES would have hooked me just as securely.
I agree with Diane. I love These Old Shades, whereas The Black Moth is a treasure because it was Georgette’s first book, and she was only 19 when she first told the tale.
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I am so pleased to see that you are commenting on Georgette Heyer’s works. I read every single one I could get my hands on about twenty years ago, and read some of them twice. Heyer uses a delicate mix of humor and intrigue, as well as engaging dialogue. I have acquired some of the recent re-printed versions.
I like These Old Shades the best, Marriage of Convenience and the Spanish Bride.
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Fabulous review – worthy indeed of one of my favorites!
The Black Moth is not a ‘reworking ‘ of These Old Shades; but a prequel. Quite a difference.
Sam, Vic suggested that I respond to your comment. If you will look at my review, you will see that I have called These Old Shades a reworking of The Black Moth, not, as you have stated, that TOS comes first. The Black Moth was Heyer’s first book, written when she was 19 for the amusement of an ill sibling. It is a pretty rudimentary story and the characters are not very memorable, except for Devil Belmanoir, She was so taken with her very dark anti-hero, that she sought to rework and better define him into the still somewhat sinister, but far more interesting Justin Alastair. He was undoubtedly one of her favorite creations, because he appears in one more book, and his descendants in still another. Both of these are cited in my review. Rather than a prequel, I would call The Black Moth a rough draft; the story in These Old Shades is far more complex and more historically grounded, as well.
You have misunderstood and overstated my (brief) comment. Yes, I am well aware of the circumstances of the origin of the Black Moth. Despite the name changes, it is still A PREQUEL!! The events in BM come before TOS by nearly 20 years so how could you call it a ‘rough draft?’ At the beginning of BM – the red haired amour of Devil (Avon); is St Vire’s sister – the aunt of Leonie who has not yet been born. Lavinia (Fanny) is a young wife…etc. I didn’t ‘state’ anything along the lines of your response and am rather puzzled by your reaction. Also, the Black Moth was actually written when GH was 17, and published two years later, in 1921.
But yes, pedantry must have its way. You did say that TSO was a reworking of the BM, and in my haste I transposed the book titles, but, (see above) you are still wrong. GH took (most) of the characters of BM, changed their names, and wrote a completely different story, set 20 years later called These Old Shades and followed with DC and AIA. Clear now?!
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Avon is definitely one of Heyer’s best creations to date, loved your review!
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